Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Monday, Jun 02, 2025

Finland Prime Minister To Pay Back Breakfast Expenses After Uproar

Finland Prime Minister To Pay Back Breakfast Expenses After Uproar

The 35-year-old leader made clear on Tuesday she would no longer claim such expenses after pledging over the weekend to pay back over 14,000 euros ($17,000) she has received in reimbursements for breakfast.

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin is pledging to pay back thousands of euros in meal expenses in a bid to contain the fallout from revelations about her family's taxpayer-subsidised breakfasts.

The 35-year-old leader made clear on Tuesday she would no longer claim such expenses after pledging over the weekend to pay back over 14,000 euros ($17,000) she has received in reimbursements for breakfast and cold meals at her residence since taking office a year and a half ago.

"Because there are open questions regarding the meal allowance, I will pay the related costs myself," she said on Twitter on Saturday, adding that she will make sure the issue is looked into and guidance updated if necessary.

On Tuesday she added that "I don't intend to use the meal allowance in future, even if it is ruled to be in line with the regulations," in an interview with broadcaster MTV3.

She called for officials to swiftly determine whether the allowance is legal and whether the repayments should be taxed, and said: "I have other work duties to get on with than spending days on end looking into things like my family's food."

Marin found herself in hot water a week ago when the tabloid Iltalehti reported that she has been claiming back about 300 euros ($365) per month for her family's breakfasts while living at her official residence, Kesaranta.

Upcoming local elections


After police and tax officials in the Nordic country pledged to look into the payments, the prime minister's office announced that the bill for breakfast and other cold meals at the residence was in fact 845 euros ($1,033) a week.

"As prime minister I have not asked for this benefit nor been involved in deciding on it," Marin said on Twitter at the time.

Opposition figures have lined up to paint Marin as out of touch for making use of the meals perk, hoping that the revelations will leave a bitter taste in voters' mouths at the local elections in two weeks' time.

Finland's low levels of inequality are a source of national pride, and leaders are typically valued for being down to earth and egalitarian.

But figures from Marin's own centre-left government coalition, including her predecessor as prime minster Antti Rinne, have expressed their support for the PM.

Marin, leader of Finland's Social Democrats, has enjoyed relatively high levels of public support since coming to office in December 2019, and her coalition has been credited with helping Finland maintain some of Europe's lowest coronavirus infection rates.

Nonetheless her party currently lags in the polls behind the opposition, while the far-right Finns Party has been predicted to make record gains at municipal ballot boxes on June 13.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
×